News articles tagged with 'odour'
The brain knows what the nose smells, but how? Stanford researchers trace the answer
— 5 Feb 2011 14:12 | HealthMice know fear. And they know to fear the scent of a predator. But how do their brains quickly figure out with a sniff that a cat is nearby?…
Mice that 'smell' light could help us better understand olfaction
— 17 Oct 2010 20:09 | BiologyHarvard University neurobiologists have created mice that can 'smell' light, providing a potent new tool that could help researchers better understand the neural basis of olfaction…
Genetic differences in sense of smell identified through asparagus urine odour
— 29 Sep 2010 15:59 | HealthScientists at the Monell Centre have used a well-known example of individual differences to identify a genetic contribution to the sense of smell…
If the water looks and smells bad, it may be toxic
— 14 Sep 2010 10:52 | EnvironmentEarthy or musty odours, along with visual evidence of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, may serve as a warning that harmful cyanotoxins are present in lakes or reservoirs.…
Mosquitoes use several different kinds of odour sensors to track human prey
— 1 Sep 2010 09:35 | BiologyIt now appears that the malaria mosquito relies on a battery of different types of odour sensors to mediate its most critical behaviours, including how to choose and locate their blood-meal…
Once bitten, twice shy - a temperature switch triggers aversive memory
— 27 Jul 2010 10:31 | HealthIt is common sense that it's worth learning what things and situations are harmful to us if we want to have a long and healthy life. For example, after getting a nasty sunburn, we learn…
Sharks can really sniff out their prey, and this is how they do it
— 11 Jun 2010 12:18 | BiologyIt's no secret that sharks have a keen sense of smell and a remarkable ability to follow their noses through the ocean, right to their next meal. Now, researchers reporting online on…
Long-lasting sensory loss in WTC workers
— 18 May 2010 19:57 | HealthNew research from the Monell Centre and collaborating institutions reports that workers exposed to the complex mixture of toxic airborne chemicals following the 9/11 disaster had a…
How nerve cells distinguish odours
— 29 Apr 2010 10:43 | HealthWhether different odours can be quickly distinguished depends on certain synapses in the brain that inhibit nerve stimulation. The researchers in Professor Dr Thomas Kuner's team at…
Scientists developed an electronic 'nose' that can predict the pleasantness of novel odours
— 16 Apr 2010 01:14 | HealthWeizmann Institute scientists have 'trained' an electronic system to be able to predict the pleasantness of novel odours, just like a human would perceive them - turning the popular…